3 Best Practices for Inclusive Marketing

Brands of today are expected to value diversity and be able to embrace the differences between their target audiences. Brands and companies accept this new norm by implementing inclusive marketing strategies, but what is inclusive marketing and what does it mean, exactly? 

Inclusive marketing looks past the preconceived notions of gender, age, race, income, sexuality, language, and religion in society. It is able to help brands reach a larger audience or tap on a new market of potential buyers. However, it is not just about race and skin colour. Brands will have to incorporate people from all walks of life in their marketing strategy in order to gain meaningful insight which can then be used to cater to their needs. 

Despite inclusive marketing being fairly new, the beauty and fashion industries have taken a leap to land at the forefront of diversity marketing. With Kim Kardashian’s shapewear brand SKIMS launching shapewear for women of all shapes, sizes, and skin tones, the brand managed to double its valuation in a span of one year. As for the beauty industry, Selena Gomez also launched her highly anticipated cosmetic brand, Rare Beauty with a total of 48 shades of concealer and foundation and using only “real people” in their marketing campaigns. 

As brands continue to target a diverse audience, diversity and inclusion in marketing can help them stay relevant and continue to grow in the long run. In order to run an inclusivity campaign successfully, brands will have to recognise the many dimensions and identities of their target audiences and acknowledge the nuances that are inherent in their personalities. With this understanding, you will be able to craft compelling marketing strategies that can help to elevate diverse voices and stories, and dispel harmful stereotypes rather than perpetuate them.

Get started with these three best practices for inclusive marketing.

1. Understand your audience

Get a grasp of the demographics of your audience. In order to create marketing content that truly reflects the diverse community that your company serves, you need to know them. Conduct market research to find out if there are untapped segments of the population that could benefit from your products or services.

Investigate the leads that did not result in conversions. This will help you identify what strategies to avoid and pick out what did not work. Did a customer fail to purchase due to the price or was it a misalignment in your messaging or sales pitch? If consumers are interested in your product but don’t feel like your brand speaks to them, their culture, or shares their values, they’re less likely to make the purchase. Vice-versa, customers are also more likely to make a purchase when inclusive advertising is used, according to Aumcore.

2. Choose the right images

Having the right visuals is essential when it comes to digital advertising or online marketing. To integrate aspects of diversity and inclusion, you should always choose to use real, original media on your website. Photos, graphics, and videos are effective ways to capture viewers’ attention and spark their curiosity to find out more about your brand or products. If you are targeting a diverse crowd, the images your use should be diverse as well. The image chosen has to be sensitive to race, gender, age, body types, and socioeconomic statuses of your audience. Your consumers want to be seen and heard by you - do this in a way that makes them feel empowered and important. 

3. Use inclusive language in your marketing campaign

Your brand messaging should not include any form of slang or references that can be seen as discriminatory to a particular group of people. Language is a powerful tool that can be used to increase inclusivity. Be sure to use inclusive language in job descriptions, website content, and all other written materials that represent your company, even in the workplace.

Stay away from language that perpetuates stereotyping and cultural appropriation, which will be seen as offensive to your consumers. You should also avoid using acronyms and business jargon without explanations as it can make people feel left out if they don't comprehend the reference.

Inclusivity definitely needs to be considered when crafting marketing strategies. As marketers, we have the capacity to help elevate the voices and stories of those around us and become a positive influence on the world. Take the first step towards inclusive marketing today. 

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